.\"
.\" Copyright (c) 1992 The Regents of the University of California
.\" Copyright (c) 1990, 1992 Jan-Simon Pendry
.\" All rights reserved.
.\"
.\" This code is derived from software donated to Berkeley by
.\" Jan-Simon Pendry.
.\"
.\" %sccs.include.redist.roff%
.\"
.\"	@(#)mount_lofs.8	5.2 (Berkeley) 07/05/92
.\"
.\"
.Dd 
.Dt MOUNT_LOFS 8
.Os BSD 4.4
.Sh NAME
.Nm mount_lofs
.Nd mount a virtual copy of an existing filesystem sub-tree
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.Nm mount_lofs
.Op Fl F Ar fsoptions
.Ar target mount-point
.Sh DESCRIPTION
The
.Nm mount_lofs
command makes a sub-tree of an existing filesystem visible
in another part of the global filesystem namespace.
This allows existing files and directories to be accessed
using a different pathname.
.Pp
The primary differences between a virtual copy of the filesystem
and a symbolic link are that
.Xr getcwd 3
functions correctly in the virtual copy, and that other filesystems
may be mounted on the virtual copy without affecting the original.
A different device number for the virtual copy is returned by
.Xr stat 2 ,
but in other respects it is indistinguishable from the original.
.Sh HISTORY
The
loopback filesystem
is
.Ud